Category Archives: central valley

San Juan Bautista

2011/08/11 – 05:22

The attractive Mission San Juan Bautista and the equally named charming small town surrounding it are easy to miss if you don’t already know its location. San Francisco Bay Area residents therefore consider the town one of their insider secrets, a place to relax, to shop, and to eat.

Art stores, antiquities shops, and restaurants line the narrow streets, each competing for your dollars. Unusual characters and harmless but grim looking bikers mingle at the saloon, just next door to the ice cream parlor filled with the excited noise of children begging their parents for sweet treats. San Juan Bautista’s rich, colorful street scenes seem made for photography.

Most visitors come to see Mission San Juan Bautista, the main attraction of the city. Founded 1797, the mission was the largest of the 21 California Missions. The mission is still active today, continuously serving the parish. Its lush gardens are an oasis of color and its bell tower and St. John statue are well-recognized symbols. The mission and nearby buildings of San Juan Bautista State Park are relics from different periods. An old west hotel, horse stables, Plaza Hall and Castro-Breen Adobe provide a unique insight into the old West and provide a great way to complement your portfolio of photographs.

San Juan Bautista has a lot to offer to the casual visitor. Many of its sights reveal their secrets only at the second glance, providing hours fun for exploration.

Flower Pots

By myphotoscout | Also posted in California Missions, Faith, flowers, Montery Peninsula, Museum, Northern California, state park | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

Soledad Mission

2011/08/03 – 03:27

Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad is the thirteenth California Mission. This very small mission does not receive the attention of its more famous sisters. It lies within the Salinas Valley Farmlands that once were dry and inhospitable.

Once a larger mission, the adobe buildings crumbled after its abandonment for over a century, leaving only small piles of rubble and remnants of walls. Some of the original remains are still visible behind the museum, but they are not very photogenic.

Although Soledad Mission is not as attractive as others are, it is only a small detour from Highway 101 and therefore always worth a quick stop. If you are weary of traveling and happen to be in the Salinas area, Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad is the perfect stop.

Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad

By myphotoscout | Also posted in California Missions, Faith, flowers, Northern California, Southern California | Tagged , , , , | Leave a Comment

How to photograph the Governor’s Mansion

2010/11/17 – 04:58

The magnificent Victorian era Governor’s Mansion is the former residence of several of California’s most influential Governors, including President Ronald Reagan. The tall house is full of memorabilia of each former inhabitant. You can visit the house, accompanied by a guide with a bag of amusing stories. The tour of the house will afford you a unique perspective on these powerful individuals. Learning about their respective quirks makes them appear more human.

The house is also a delightful, but challenging, photography subject. The details, colors, and textures of the furniture, carvings, and paintings are stunning and can keep you busy. Torn between the stories and the visual feast, you will find the tour flies through the house at a quick pace.

If you come to Sacramento, you should consider visiting the Governor’s Mansion. You won’t regret it.
Govenor's Mansion Formal Parlor

By myphotoscout | Also posted in Gold Country, landmark, Museum, Northern California, Sacramento, state park | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

How to photograph the California State Capitol

2010/10/06 – 06:06

The California State Capitol is located in the heart of Sacramento, in a large landscaped park. It is the seat of California’s government, the location of bitter budget battles in the debt-ridden state, and the governor’s office, a position of power and humiliation. It is also a shining beacon of hope and endless optimism that fuels California since the gold rush, and a fantastic example of neoclassical architecture that dominates the administration buildings of the United States.

The California Capitol was indeed modeled after the US capitol in Washington D.C. Upon completion in 1870, its construction did cost the California taxpayers 25 times its original estimate. Splendor has created Sacramento’s most noteworthy attraction, adorned with public arts displays and antique furnishings. The California State Capitol is one of the most rewarding buildings to photograph.
California State Capitol

By myphotoscout | Also posted in Gold Country, landmark, night, Northern California, park, Sacramento, state park | Tagged , | Comments (3)

The California State Railroad Museum

2010/09/29 – 05:15

Travel back in time to the golden era of train travel and discover the most beautiful transportation machinery ever conceived in the California State Railroad Museum. It upholds the title of “Largest Railroad Museum in North America” with an impressive collection of fire breathing and steam puffing iron horses.

At some point it must have been every child’s dream to steer one of these monsters and be the hero of other like-minded children. At least it was mine, as I observed the last of the giant steam locomotives put on a show of a giant white plume of smoke while blowing their deafening air-horns. Eventually, smaller and more efficient diesel electric locomotives replaced these beautiful machines and I grew up to become something else. However, the romantic mystique of the steam engines stayed with me to this day.

Transcontinental Railroad

By myphotoscout | Also posted in Gold Country, Museum, Northern California, Sacramento, state park, Transportation | Tagged , , , | Comments (4)

How to photograph Sacramento Old Town

2010/09/22 – 03:17

Gunslingers, cowboys, and tough railroaders mingle with candy store kids, baby stroller pushers, and gawking tourists in Old Sacramento, the historic downtown core of Sacramento. Beautifully restored buildings, dating back to the 19th century, divulge authentic western town flair, just a few blocks from the modern, slick city blocks of the business district.

Book a scenic train ride with a historic steam locomotive or an exclusive horse carriage ride through the streets of Old Sacramento, visit one of the superb museums, sample the candy store offerings, and dine in a restaurant overlooking the Sacramento River. The entertainment options and tourist traps will keep your family happy while you can indulge in the superb photography opportunity of Old Sacramento.

Despite the convenient location and being one of Sacramento’s most notable tourist attractions, Old Town was not at the top of my to-do list, but I was pleasantly surprised during my first visit and I kept discovering superb compositions and came to appreciate this area on my second and third visits. Allow the atmosphere to catch you and you too will be pleasantly surprised.
Old Town Sidewalk

By myphotoscout | Also posted in Gold Country, Northern California, Sacramento, state park | Tagged , , | Comments (7)

How to photograph Fort Tejon SHP

2010/07/21 – 05:54

Fort Tejon is conveniently located along Interstate 5, the main travel artery connecting Los Angeles to Northern California and the Central Valley. Its location is too convenient for its own good. I have flown past the Fort countless times, on my way to and from destinations in the south, always noting that the location would make it a perfect candidate to visit some other time.

On a recent trip south, I decided that it was time to follow in the footsteps of the Indians and scout out the Fort the white men built to suppress them and to protect settlers and fortune seekers.

By myphotoscout | Also posted in Fort, Kern County, lake, Los Angeles, pass, Southern California, state park | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)

How to photograph Brandy Creek Falls

2010/05/11 – 17:29

Brandy Creek Falls are a series of cascading waterfalls in the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity NRA, an area famous for pristine nature. Despite its convenient location, many people shy away from the hike and chose to relax at the lake instead. The trail is not crowded and the waterfall offers many good angles. On weekdays you stand a good chance of having the falls to yourself and even on weekends you will not need to wrestle crowds for space.

The pleasant uphill hike leads through forests and over small creeks with temperatures far below the searing heat of the Central Valley.
Brandy Creek Falls: Upper Fall

By myphotoscout | Also posted in hike, Northern California, NRA, waterfall | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

California Poppy Reserve – Antelope Valley

2010/04/13 – 04:58

California Poppies are the official state flower of California. Early explorers who saw fields of poppies mistook them for gold. California became the golden state, foreboding the Gold Rush that followed later. The Gold Rush days are long gone, but poppies still color the hills and attract people from all over.

The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve has the highest concentration of poppies. Meadows and rolling hills burst with color when the orange poppies and a wide variety of yellow flowers mix to create dazzling splashes of color. The sight attracts many landscape photographers. It is one of California’s most impressive natural miracles, lasting only a few weeks.

Come visit this natural wonder and see how California got its name.
California Poppies

By myphotoscout | Also posted in flowers, park, scenic drive, Seasonal, Southern California, spring, state park, wildflowers | Tagged , | Comments (11)

How to photograph Columbia SHP

2009/09/24 – 15:33

At the Sierra Nevada foothills lies the town of Columbia, home to one of California’s most interesting historic parks.

During the time of the California Gold Rush, Columbia quickly became California’s second largest city. Today’s historic park covers several city blocks maintained in their original 1850s style, complete with folks in period customs working the shops, offering stagecoach rides or performing crafts like blacksmithing. The rangers and volunteers did a good job maintaining the park for us to enjoy.
Wells Fargo Stage Coach

By myphotoscout | Also posted in Gold Country, Northern California, Sierra Nevada, state park | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)
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